Cloning and characterization of telomerase reverse transcriptase gene in Trichinella spiralis

The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is primarily known for its ability to elongate telomeres for maintaining chromosomal integrity and delaying cellular senescence. It plays an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation, tumorigenesis, and aging. Telomerase includes two core components-an internal RNA moiety acting as a template of DNA extension and a catalytic subunit (TERT) which provides catalytic activity. Here, we described the cloning, sequence, and characterization of the TERT gene from Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis). The prediction results of amino acid sequence showed that it possessed all the motifs characteristics of the TERT family members. T. spiralis TERT (Ts_TERT) cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding a protein with 1,201 amino acids with moleculer mass of 139 kDa and isoelectric point of 9.673, and the protein contains the conserved reverse transcriptase motifs 1, 2, A, B, C, D, and E, as well as the TERT-specific T motifs and the N-terminal conserved motifs GQ, CP, and QFP. While RT-PCR analysis indicates that TERT mRNA is expressed in T. spiralis adult worm, newborn larvae, and muscle larvae.